Biophilia: Pittsburgh December Meeting: The Importance of Staying Wild

The Thurs., Dec. 1 Biophilia: Pittsburgh meeting will feature prominent naturalist Jen Dalke, who will lead a discussion on "The Importance of Staying Wild." This talk will focus on why the need to stay connected to nature is so great in the modern era, addressing the challenges of urban sprawl and excessive development and exploring ways that we can help to overcome them.

Jen Dalke is an avid outdoors enthusiast whose history with nature goes back longer than she can recall. She has sought natural spaces since she was a child, growing up with many acres immediately accessible behind the house where she lived. When she was old enough, she would pack up a journal and a snack and make her way into the forest to explore inner and outer worlds. That routine never got old and, in fact, evolved to take many different forms over the course of her life. She believes that living and participating closely with nature her whole life has had a profound impact on her current mindset and outlook.

Directions and Parking: This meeting will take place in the Center for Sustainable Landscapes (CSL) Classroom which is located on the facility’s first floor. The main Conservatory entrance will be closed, as this meeting takes place after normal hours; to access the CSL, follow Frew Street (located between the Oakland/Schenley Park bridge and the Christopher Columbus statue), which will take you around the Conservatory to the lower campus. Guest parking spaces are available on your left as you approach the CSL.

Hello everyone! We are really looking forward to seeing you this Thursday! I wanted to remind everyone that parking may be more scarce than usual due to the opening of our ongoing winter show this past weekend. There will also be valet parking at the bottom of Frew street, but this is only for guests attending the Henry Phipps dinner that evening. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience that may arise.

Biophilia: Pittsburgh is the pilot chapter for a global Biophilia Network of creative minds dedicated to strengthening the bond between people and the natural world through education, discussion and action.

Our Goals

• To welcome and inspire others with the concept and principles of biophilia • To foster collaboration and learning between professionals from a wide variety of disciplines • To communicate biophilic principles in action-oriented ways to a wider audience for exponential and regional impact

What Is Biophilia?

The term “biophilia,” which literally means “love of life,” was coined by social psychologist Erich Fromm and popularized by biologist E.O. Wilson, who defined it as “the innately emotional affiliation of human beings to other living organisms.”

The implications of biophilia extend across a vast array of disciplines including design and engineering, nutrition, psychology, public health, education, biology and the humanities. Biophilia is expressed all over the world every day, through complex collaborations such as the design and construction of buildings and landscapes; and intimate, personal encounters including nature hikes and home gardening.

What Will We Do?

It all starts with good conversation! Biophilia: Pittsburgh will begin by meeting monthly at the Center for Sustainable Landscapes classroom at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. Over delicious small-plates and light refreshments, a discipline or behavior will be identified — often by an expert guest speaker — and discussed among the participants in the interest of sharing ideas and identifying opportunities. With your direction, we hope to expand the schedule to include off-site trips to biophilic regional destinations like nature preserves, green buildings, and urban gardens, and to plan and enact initiatives in our own community to make things better for people and the planet. Join the movement!